Pterodactylus antiquus

This pterosaur species lived 160–150 million years ago in an archipelago in what is now southern Germany. It had a wingspan of up to 5 feet (1.5 m) and…Read More »

fed on insects or fish. In addition to wings, Pterodactylus antiquus had a flap of skin between its legs and tail and webbing between its toes. Pterodactylus antiquus was the first flying reptile to be called a “pterodactyl.” After many other specimens were found, the entire group was named Pterosauria, and its members pterosaurs — the terms scientists use today. [Read full story] Less «

2 of 26

Pterodactylus fossil cast

This cast is of a fossil of a young Pterodactylus antiquus that was found in layers of limestone near Solnhofen, Germany, an area known for its rich fossil…Read More »

beds. The animal was imbedded in very fine silt, which preserved the skeleton in sharp detail. The layer of sediment that covered it created a mold — a mirror image of the petrified remains. [Read full story] Less «

Nemicolopterus fossil cast

This cast of a fossil of Nemicolopterus crypticus, one of the smallest pterosaurs, was discovered in northeastern China in 2008. Its fossil skeleton, with…Read More »

its curved toe bones, suggests it could cling to the branches or trunks of trees. Nemicolopterus, about the size of a modern sparrow, may have darted through forests hunting for insects, snapping them up in its toothless jaws. [Read full story] Less «

Quetzalcoatlus humerus

This humerus, or upper arm bone, belonged to Quetzalcoatlus northropi, one of the largest pterosaurs found to date. A geology student discovered this fossil…Read More »

in a gulch in southwestern Texas, but the only remains he could find were parts of one wing. The massive knob at the shoulder end was an attachment point for powerful muscles — a clue that this animal was capable of flight. [Read full story] Less «

Wukongopterus fossil cast

This recently discovered pterosaur, found in Liaoning Province, China, has a long, straight tail, like most primitive species on the pterosaur evolutionary…Read More »

tree. But it also has some advanced traits, such as relatively long neck vertebrae. Scientists think this pterosaur could be a transitional species, evolving as pterosaur body types started to change. [Read full story] Less «

11 of 26

Pterosaur Trackway

This sandstone slab from Utah is a relic from more than 140 million years ago, when pterosaurs strolled on tidal flats near a sea in what is now the American…Read More »

West. The nine sets of prints are of different sizes, so they may have been left by more than one species, or by a group that included both young and adults. Today, these fossil tracks help reveal how the pterosaurs moved: not like birds but like bats, walking on all four limbs. [Read full story] Less «

Dawndraco kanzai

This species of pterosaur, Dawndraco kanzai, was one of the largest pterosaurs ever to take to the skies toward the end of the era of flying reptiles,…Read More »

between 90 and 66 million years ago. This long-winged, short-tailed, toothless creature was a close relative of Pteranodon longiceps. During their heyday, Dawndraco, Pteranodon and their oversized cousins soared over a seaway that covered the American Great Plains. [Read full story] Less «

15 of 26

Sordes pilosus

This pterosaur lived about 155 million years ago near a lake in what is now southern Kazakhstan where it likely dined on fish and other small prey. Its…Read More »

broad wings stretched from its wing bones to its ankles, and another flap of skin connected its legs, which it may have pumped during flight. Some fossils show that Sordes pilosus kept warm with a thick coat of fibers similar to fur. [Read full story] Less «

16 of 26

Nyctosaurus skull

Nyctosaurus, a pterosaur that lived 84 million years ago, had two long, thin bones sticking out of its head. These narrow rods were three times longer…Read More »

than the animal’s head and roughly as long as its entire body. Most scientists think these bony prongs were probably connected by soft tissue. Others think they could have remained bare, like deer antlers. [Read full story] Less «

Dark Wing

In this remarkable Rhamphorhynchus muensteri fossil, discovered in Germany in 2001, the wing tissues are so well preserved that scientists have been able…Read More »

to see fine details in their structure. Under ultraviolet light, researchers detected layers of skin threaded with blood vessels, muscles and long fibers that stiffened the wing. Because of the shadowy color of the wing membrane, paleontologists call this fossil Dark Wing. [Read full story] Less «

20 of 26

Rhamphorhynchus muensteri

Rhamphorhynchus muensteri is a dagger-toothed pterosaur from the Late Jurassic (about 150 million years ago). It had a long tail, with a stiff flap of…Read More »

skin called a vane at the end that stabilized flight. Some scientists think this membrane faced sideways, like a fish tail, and helped prevent rocking from side to side. Others think it lay flat, like a paddle, and helped the flying pterosaur control its elevation. [Read full story] Less «

Virtual Wind Tunnel

Visitors experiment with the principles of pterosaur aerodynamics in an interactive virtual wind tunnel that responds to the movements of their hands. [Read full story]

Science Newsletter: Subscribe

Follow Us

More from LiveScience

Author Bio

Live Science Staff

For the science geek in everyone, Live Science offers a fascinating window into the natural and technological world, delivering comprehensive and compelling news and analysis on everything from dinosaur discoveries, archaeological finds and amazing animals to health, innovation and wearable technology. We aim to empower and inspire our readers with the tools needed to understand the world and appreciate its everyday awe.